It is sometimes amazing how quickly my girlfriend picks up things from me. When we met her English was almost unusable but now she sounds pretty good, and I am often surprised that some of the crazy things I say come back to haunt me. It makes me think about being careful what I say around her.

One day we were playing on the sofa and when she was lying in my lap I noticed something like a bug bite on her back. So I said to her, "What is this big red thing on your back?"

She replied, "I don't know."

"I'm serious," I said. "You have a big red thing!"

"I don't know English." She joked, likely being tired of this subject.

â€œ你有大的红的东西。（Nǐ yǒu dÃ de hÃ³ng de dōngxi.）" I repeated, this time in Chinese.

"I don't know Chinese." She replied.

In a mock African voice, I shouted, "Abula Bilii~~~~!!"

"Mutha Fucka you out of your damn mind?!" She retorted.

We almost fell down laughing.

I think you can guess which is the line she picked up from me.

Life in China is just different. Life abroad is just different There is simplicity I never found in the US relationships because they often seem to be lacking real life. If you read about "work/life balance" you will find much information that purports that this is exactly what is lacking in America. There is no time to just live. There is no time to just enjoy being with someone. Even fun is often scripted and over planned in the US.

“b***y is so strong that there are dudes willing to blow themselves up for the highly unlikely possibility of b***y in another dimension." -- Joe Rogan

The_Adventurer wrote:It is sometimes amazing how quickly my girlfriend picks up things from me. When we met her English was almost unusable but now she sounds pretty good, and I am often surprised that some of the crazy things I say come back to haunt me. It makes me think about being careful what I say around her.

One day we were playing on the sofa and when she was lying in my lap I noticed something like a bug bite on her back. So I said to her, "What is this big red thing on your back?"

She replied, "I don't know."

"I'm serious," I said. "You have a big red thing!"

"I don't know English." She joked, likely being tired of this subject.

â€œ你有大的红的东西。（Nǐ yǒu dÃ de hÃ³ng de dōngxi.）" I repeated, this time in Chinese.

"I don't know Chinese." She replied.

In a mock African voice, I shouted, "Abula Bilii~~~~!!"

"Mutha Fucka you out of your damn mind?!" She retorted.

We almost fell down laughing.

I think you can guess which is the line she picked up from me.

Life in China is just different. Life abroad is just different There is simplicity I never found in the US relationships because they often seem to be lacking real life. If you read about "work/life balance" you will find much information that purports that this is exactly what is lacking in America. There is no time to just live. There is no time to just enjoy being with someone. Even fun is often scripted and over planned in the US.

Ah...simplicity. I think it was outlawed in the US about 30 years ago. It is one thing still possible
in both South America and in parts of Asia. Most cannot understand why I like life in Mindanao.
I keep my complications in my office. Otherwise, I wake up without an alarm clock...enjoy mangos and
papayas from the garden around my house...go for a motorbike ride with my GF up to my mango orchard...
cruise back home for some coffee and playtime with the GF...it might account for why, at 50, my blood
pressure is usually about 112 over 70.